"The fact that you should reply to an email with the word 'resign' sounds like a phishing test," says Elizabeth Lotardo, a workplace and career expert. "We're not positive how or

In a mass email sent to federal employees just before 8:30 p.m. — almost exactly 24 hours after an air crash in Washington that killed 67 people — the Office of Personnel Management encouraged F.A.A. workers, including air traffic controllers, to look for new jobs outside of government, where they might have an opportunity to be more productive.